Gearing up!

I've decided since my kiddos have a few more days off, I will take advantage of this time with them, and not let the New Year mode begin just yet. We've had a really great Christmas break so far, and I definitely don't want to rush the last few days.

That being said.... we have had some time to de-clutter, which is something I love to do, and I swear I am a little OCD! Twice a year (Christmas and summer break) the kids and I take a day and go through everything from toys to pot holders, literally! We try to give away anything that still has life left in it, otherwise our other "piles" consist of donate, and trash. We currently have 7, yes I'm serious, 7 Hefty bags full of clothes to go! This always feels good! I love to make space (something we longed for in our old house), and if we can pass some things along to others that the kids have outgrown... its something they won't have to go out and purchase! After all, someone most likely gave us those jeans and hoodies and saved us a ton!

Something else we do over Christmas break, is work on a meal plan! This is kind of a two part project! Everyone gets to name as many meals they can think of, then we make a big long list, and follow it! Here's the bonus.... you will NOT go out to eat if you have a PLAN! You eat a home cooked meal, eat a healthy meal, and save a ton of moolah! We don't write it in stone, we don't write a 'day of the week' next to each meal, its just a list! If someone decides pizza doesn't sound good, we skip it, and keep moving (although, I put a little mark beside it, the ingredients are waiting) we just make it another time! One night could be a "fancy supper", the next night we may be dining on pigs in a blanket! My list needs a little organizing after we brainstorm. We pick one night a month to go out to eat, and then I throw in a "must go" night at least once a week. That's our night we don't have to cook, we empty the fridge, and everything MUST GO! It's quite a buffet at times! The kids think its fun to have biscuits and gravy and pizza on the same plate! There has been some odd things dipped in gravy, let me tell ya!

Part two of the meal plan project is the shopping for said meal plan. If I bake a chicken on a Tuesday evening, I'll use that left over chicken on say, Thursday for pasta! Nothing goes to waste really! I try to list my meals that I already have ingredients for, first! I want to use up what I have before I make a trip to the store. I only shop once a month! I start at the very top of my list, and make sure I have every single ingredient needed for every meal! When I come across something that needs fresh veggies or fruits, but its three weeks away, I add it to my shopping list, and get it later. That is really what determines when I need to make a trip to the store.

My whole family loves the "menu" hanging on the side of our fridge! It keeps us organized, and saves a ton of money, really! If I'm making tacos on Thursday, I know I need to get two lbs of ground beef out of the deep freeze and in the fridge on Tuesday. Sometimes, we decide we're going to skip a night, and run to town for supper, we just skip that meal on the menu, and do it the next day!

One last thing I always do before we begin New Year life... update the calendar! We have a calendar that also hangs on the side of our fridge, and it pretty much rules our world! If it's not on the calendar.... it's not going to happen! With three kiddos, three jobs, and my hubby, we need to know who goes where when! I take last years calendar, put all birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, practices, etc on my new one before it ever goes up! It is a task I really despise, but it must be done! It almost feels like you're out of time, before the time even gets here, ya know? But... we are a crazy, messy, busy bunch and we need all the help we can get! Hope some of my ideas work for y'all as well!